Thursday, May 1, 2008

Bob O'Connor Attacks The Poor And Disabled

Do the followers of the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) have any shame? In an editorial on Virginia News Source this morning, Bob O'Connor finds a new scapegoat for City spending: the poor and the disabled.

In "Proposed Virginia Beach Expenditures for 2008/2009" (that's FY 2009, Bob), O'Connor writes, "The budget for the Human Services department is $110 million...for our Police Department $89 million."

In his next paragraph he goes on to compare the two, "It is interesting to note that the Human Services budget is greater than the budget for our Police Department. Also interesting is the number of people employed in those two departments. Human Services employs 1,078 people and the PD has 1,005."

First, the vast majority of money spent by Human Services are state and Federal funds. The local tax burden to pay for Human Services is much smaller than VBPD.

Second, the figure is unusually high in that Virginia Beach consolidated Social Services and the Community Services Board into the Department of Human Services. In most cities you'd have two separate operating department budgets.

Third, poor neighborhoods are often the first victims of crime. Does anyone outside the VBTA think the poor want fewer cops? Living in (and posting this from) a poor neighborhood, I can tell you my neighbors and I would like more.

Most sinister is the underlying message in O'Connor's comparison: the poor are a threat to our well-being. With a political message like that, no wonder O'Connor and his pals can't win a City Council seat!

13 comments:

Michael Ragsdale said...

Apparently they (or their followers) don't seem to care considering how I was mercilessly attacked.

Who are the VBTA backed candidates so that I know who not to vote for?

Anonymous said...

O'Connor is a joke. He just takes figures out of context and writes exceedingly long rants that bore people to death.

Anonymous said...

Michael:

VBTA in the Mayor's race: Definitely Moss and probably Weeks (he ran with Wall Erb & Robert Dean as part of the DEW Team in 2000).

DeSteph & McClanan are the only ones currently on council that the VBTA continues to praise. McClanan is up for re-election.

Michael Ragsdale said...

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

The spin that Henry attempts to use to defame Bob O'Connor is very off base.

I read the same commentary.

It is clear to me that Bob was NOT trying to claim that old people are a threat to taxpayers, nor was he attempting to claim that the poor and the elderly do not want adequate police protection.

That strawman Henry tried to stand up is simply a misintepretation of what Mr. O'Conner was sharing with others.

-Reid Greenmun

Avenging Archangel said...

Reid,

Anyone who read it knows your attempted defense is ridiculous.

Following his DHS vs. VBPD comparison, O'Connor does a CVB vs. DED comparison. Anyone knows what he means there: money should be spent on DED rather than CVB.

In the same vein, he's trying to claim Human Services is draining funds from public safety.

Anonymous said...

Henry, you are making stuff up ...

"He is trying to claim ..."

Sorry Henry, you are simply wrong.

Perhaps you should call Bob and ask him what he means before you go off and attack him for what you think he might have meant?

-Reid

Avenging Archangel said...

Reid,

Stick your head in the sand if you wish.

However, anyone who can comprehend the English language can see that Bob made two spending comparisons:

1. DHS vs. VBPD

2. CVB vs. DED

Anyone understands the second one: Virginia Beach is spending more on tourism than well-paying jobs for residents.

It's the first one that you (and only you) are in denial over. If the second comparison meant what it did, the first can only mean the same thing.

Notice that you're the only commenter trying to pretend something different.

Anonymous said...

Henry writes:

"Notice that you're the only commenter trying to pretend something different."

First off, I am not pretending anything - and you are out of line to sugest so.


Secondly, let's be honest shall we? Since you have only a few of your pals posting here, your point doesn't really mean a whole lot, now does it?

henry, you are simply making things up about Bob O'Conner and then complaining about them.

-Reid

Avenging Archangel said...

Reid,

No, I'm letting O'Connor's own comments sink him and the VBTA.

Michael Ragsdale said...

Sinking the VBTA: and whoever the idiot attacking me as well

Anonymous said...

O'Connor is the typical VBTA "spokesperson." Distorts facts and figures to make them fit his conspiracy theories.

At some point, probably after November, the VBTA will finally realize it has no relevance or political clout.

Avenging Archangel said...

The VBTA leadership may realize it after the November elections, but they'll try to keep the gig going.

It will be interesting what story they use to keep the VBTAers chugging the Kool-Aid. (Light rail?)